This Sunday marks the last day of summer vacation and the first school night of the school year-- a bittersweet feeling for all. My children played a role in helping me create this back to school menu. It is mostly good comfort food, but with a knock-out dessert.

It has been quite some time since I made this cake. In fact, the last time I made it was for my mother's birthday over three years ago. The recipe may seem daunting, but really all it takes is a little patience. A jammed packed summer with three kids will teach one patience, won't it? It was a good summer and I couldn't be happier to make this cake for them. This cake consists of layers (upon layers) of chocolate crêpes. In between these layers is a swiss meringue buttercream that is flavored with Nutella and lightened with a little whipped cream. It is then finished with a rich chocolate glaze.

When I make the crêpes, I seem to come out with more than originally called for (thirty-nine to be exact). However, I am unable to get all the way to the thirty-two layers for the final cake. I come in between twenty-eight and thirty. That leaves a few extra crêpes for snacking and that's o.k. by me. I also add a bit of espresso powder to bump up the chocolate flavor in the crêpes. The recipe calls for hazelnut cream, but I use Nutella and reduce the amount of sugar. A bit of Frangelico in the filling is optional, but good.

Good Sunday comfort food with a decadent dessert and nothing but crêpe expectations for the coming school year! Ooof!

For the Crêpes
In a medium sauce pan, bring the water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add the butter one piece at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until completely smooth; set aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and espresso powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually add the milk mixture to the flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Gradually add the chocolate mixture, whisking until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. Once rested, pour and press through a fine-mesh sieve; discard any lumps.

Lightly coat an 8-inch crepe pan or 10-inch non-stick skillet with melted butter and heat over medium heat; wipe out excess. Pour about 3 tablespoons of batter into the pan, swirling to coat bottom. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the crêpe, flipping once until edges are golden and center is set, about 30-45 seconds per side. Transfer crepe (I invert the pan with a whack on the counter) to a sheet of waxed paper. Continue with remaining batter (no butter needed for non-stick skillet), placing a sheet of waxed paper between each crepe. Crêpes can be made and refrigerated for up to one day.

For the Filling
In a medium bowl using a wire whisk or a hand held mixer, beat the cream until soft peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Whisk egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture registers 160º F on a candy thermometer, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and place the bowl on the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high until slightly cooled and stiff (not dry) peaks form, about 5 minutes. Switch the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter, a few pieces at a time, mixing well after each addition (meringue will deflate slightly as butter is added). Add vanilla, Frangelico, Nutella, and salt; beat until the mixture comes together, about 5-7 minutes. (Mixture will separate at first. If the mixture looks grainy, place in the refrigerator to cool. Then beat again until smooth and fluffy). Using a rubber spatuala, fold in the refrigerated whipped cream; use immediately.

To Assemble
Place an 8-inch round of parchment paper over a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet . Place a crêpe on top of the parchment. Evenly spread about 3 tablespoons of filling on top of the crêpe. Top with another crêpe. Continue layering with filling and crepes, using about 32 crêpes and ending with a crêpe on top. Refrigerate until firm, at least one hour.

For the Glaze
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream, corn syrup, and salt to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir until completely smooth. Cool completely before using.

For the Hazelnuts
Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Without stirring, continue to cook until the mixture turns a light amber color. Remove from the heat and add the hazelnuts, stirring to coat. Pour the candied hazelnuts onto a piece of parchment paper and spread to an even layer. Allow the mixture to cool completely. Break or chop into smaller pieces.

Spoon 1/2 cup of the glaze on top of the cake, spreading to edges with off-set spatula. Spread remaining glaze around the sides of the cake, coating completely. Refrigerate until glaze is firm and set, about 30 minutes. Cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Garnish with candied hazelnuts. Enjoy!

Nicole-The Galley Gourmet said...[Reply to comment]Heidi-Whoa-- dessert potluck party?! I am game. Yeah, this dessert is so "wicked", I had to slice a generous wedge and share my calories with the neighbors so it wouldn't haunt me in the middle of the night:)

This looks AMAZING! You're an inspiration, but I would be lying if I said I was going to try this any time soon -- too lazy! ;) If only tastes/smells could be transmitted through the computer screen...

OH MY! I've had cake on the brain this week and when I saw this picture all I could think was, "How in the world did you torte a cake that thin?!" Now I know. I haven't thought much about chocolate and crepes since I visited France just about 15 years ago....thanks for the rekindled memory.

Ohhh, this is gourgeous. It brings me back to my childhood and my grandmother. I remember that she made this for us when I was little. I helped her, it wa so much fun. Thanks for sharing your recipes. I will add this to my favorites.

In making this cake last night, I came across a few hiccups. When trying to turn the eggs whites and sugar into "stiff (not dry) peaks," I couldn't succeed...and I was whipping on his for +10 minutes. Of course the consistancy of the cream got thicker when I added the butter and nutella, but upon putting the cream on the crepes for assembly, the cream seemed to separate..any ideas? I tried asking my mom what I could do/what I did wrong and she had no idea. I've followed this recipe before and the cake turned out delicious so I don't want to give up on it. Thanks for your help and Happy Thanksgiving!

Anon-I am glad you don't want to give up:) As far as the egg whites, the bowl and whisk need to be very clean and completely dry. The tiniest bit of moisture, from water or yolk will not allow the whites to whip properly. As far as the buttercream separating, it sounds like the whites weren't cool enough before adding the butter and Nutella. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for it cool, then beat again and the mixture should come together. Hope this helps and happy Thanksgiving to you as well!

I made this cake over the weekend. It was fabulous! A little bit of work, but well worth it. My only comment is that you didn't add the directions for the glaze. I made my own and it was great. Absolutely highly recommend this recipe! Yummy!

Can i make the crepes a week in advance? Actually can I make any of the items in advance by a few days or so? I want to make your beautiful cake for by husband's bday get together, but I wont have to time do everything on the day of. So therefore I wanted to see if I can break down the recipe and do whatever I can ahead of time. I've never done anything like this in my life so itll take me a little extra time to grasp everything and make it correctly.

You can make several components in advance-- the crepe batter and the crepes (you can actually make these a few days ahead), as well as the candied hazelnuts. It seems daunting, but take the time to read the recipe a few times and highlight make-ahead tips. I would never recommend making this cake in one day. Enjoy!